People travel within Australia for many reasons, including school, business, recreation and travel to and from work. This section provides details of rail and air passenger activity within Australia.

Rail passenger activity

The number of passengers carried by private and government rail operators is shown in table 23.17. Since 1992-93 there have been annual increases in the number of rail passengers, urban and non-urban passengers increasing by 27.3% and 65.7% respectively. Heavy rail has consistently accounted for more than three-quarters of urban rail passenger operations.

23.17 RAIL PASSENGER OPERATIONS(a)

Urban

Heavy rail

Tram and light rail

Total

Non-urban

Total

million persons

million persons

million persons

million persons

million persons

1992-93

396

103

498

7

505

1993-94

402

106

507

8

516

1994-95

420

111

530

9

539

1995-96

441

116

556

9

566

1996-97

456

118

574

10

584

1997-98

457

121

578

10

588

1998-99

463

123

585

10

595

1999-2000

482

137

619

11

629

2000-01

498

137

634

12

646

(a) Excludes historical and tourist services. There are no rail passenger services in Tas., NT or ACT.

Source: Australasian Railway Association Inc.

Air passenger activity

As at 30 June 2002 there were two major domestic carriers operating in Australia, Qantas and Virgin Blue. A third major domestic carrier, Ansett Australia, ceased operations in September 2001. As at 30 June 2002, 27 regional operators provided regular public transport air services to about 170 airports in Australia.

Total passenger departures increased by 13.4% over the five years to 2001, with the largest increase (7.3%) occurring between 1999 and 2000 (table 23.18). The major domestic and regional airlines both increased their number of passengers over these five years. In 2001, the major domestic airlines accounted for 82.1% of total Australian domestic passenger departures. Over the five years to 2001, the regional airlines increased their share of passenger departures from 16.8% in 1997 to 17.9% in 2001.

The major domestic airlines reduced the overall ratio of vacant seat kilometres to distance travelled between 1997 and 2000. In 2000 the ratio was 22.6%, down from 25.6% in 1997. However, in 2001 this ratio increased to 23.5%.

23.18 DOMESTIC AIRLINE ACTIVITY

Units

1997

1998

1999

2000(a)

2001(a)

Passenger departures(b)

Domestic airlines

'000

23,375

23,575

24,392

25,660

26,152

Regional airlines

'000

4,713

4,851

5,039

5,929

5,700

Total

'000

28,088

28,426

29,431

31,590

31,852

Other activity (domestic airlines only)

Passenger kilometres performed(c)

million

26,357

26,774

27,853

29,601

30,410

Seat kilometres available(d)

million

35,403

35,467

36,119

38,232

39,739

Percentage of vacant seat kilometres

%

25.6

24.5

22.9

22.6

23.5

(a) Includes estimates for regional airlines data.(b) The unit of measurement is traffic on board (which includes transit traffic). Includes revenue passengers only.(c) The sum for all flights of the number of passengers on each flight multiplied by the distance travelled.(d) The sum for all flights of the number of seats on a flight multiplied by distance travelled.

Source: Department of Transport and Regional Services.

Table 23.19 shows the number of passengers boarding or departing by major domestic and regional airlines at the main airports. In 2001 all capital city airports except Darwin, Canberra and Perth recorded increased passenger movements compared with 2000. Hobart recorded the strongest growth (with 42.9%), followed by Brisbane (12.9%), Adelaide (5.8%), Melbourne (2.9%) and Sydney (1.8%). Sydney airport recorded 16.6 million passenger movements, Melbourne airport 13.3 million movements and Brisbane almost 10 million movements. Of the smaller airports Launceston recorded the highest growth in movements between 2000 and 2001 (72.2%), followed by Townsville (23.7%).

By contrast, passenger movements at Darwin airport dropped by 6.5% over the same period, and movements at Canberra and Perth airports both fell by 3.5%.

23.19 PASSENGER MOVEMENTS(a) WITH MAJOR DOMESTIC AND REGIONAL AIRLINES AT PRINCIPAL AIRPORTS

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

Airport

'000

'000

'000

'000

'000

Sydney

14,070

(b)14,276

(b)14,879

16,265

(b)16,565

Melbourne

11,228

11,429

(b)11,902

12,939

(b)13,308

Brisbane

7,470

(b)7,438

(b)7,833

8,811

(b)9,951

Adelaide

3,636

(b)3,789

(b)3,869

3,982

(b)4,212

Perth

3,153

3,236

3,258

3,463

3,342

Canberra

1,788

1,805

1,901

2,041

(b)1,970

Hobart

832

(b)856

(b)878

928

(b)1,326

Darwin

823

854

(b)879

907

(b)848

Cairns

1,918

1,916

(b)2,023

2,133

(b)2,025

Coolangatta

1,918

1,889

(b)1,938

1,918

(b)1,795

Townsville

686

(b)704

(b)740

772

(b)955

Launceston

559

536

(b)545

532

(b)916

(a) The number of passengers on board arriving at or departing from each airport. Includes passengers in transit who are counted as both arrivals and departures at airports through which they transit.(b) Includes estimates for unreported data.

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